by Brandon Mull
“I’m not sure anything will work,” Kendra said. “I think we blew it. I think we lost.”
“At least I won’t remember,” Seth said.
“That isn’t funny,” Kendra said.
“Hopefully you can undo the forgetting somehow,” Seth said. “If not, I’ll still be me. I just won’t know it. I’ll get back to myself eventually. I’ll relearn.”
“I can’t think of anything worse to lose than knowing who I am,” Kendra said.
“I don’t want to,” Seth said, feeling tears sting his eyes and clenching his fists, determined not to cry. “We’re trying to save the world. Small price if it helps.”
They reached the top of the stairs and found themselves facing an ornate door made of silver-gray metal and set with gems. “There it is,” Kendra said. “Are you sure about this?”
They approached the door together. Seth held up the key. “It wasn’t too bad in that room when I lost memories,” he said, trying to console her. “You don’t really know what you’re missing.”
“That’s sort of the most tragic part,” Kendra said. “This is brave of you, Seth. Maybe too brave.”
He shrugged. “I need to leave you time to try to do something.” He pushed the key into the keyhole. “Sorry to check out. Good luck. Tell everybody I love them. Even Knox. Especially you.”
Seth turned the jade key.
And swooned, staggering a little.
He stared at the door, perplexed.
He did not know where he was. He held up his hands, but they were unfamiliar. He seemed to be a kid. A young teen? He did not know his own name.
How did he know nothing about himself or where he was? Wasn’t he somebody? What could possibly have happened?
“Seth, are you all right?”
He turned to face the girl who had spoken. She looked at him with concern, but nothing about her was familiar. Could his name be Seth? Did this young woman know him? She looked a little older than him.
Who was she?
And who was the man approaching behind her?
Wizenstone
Kendra held her breath as Seth turned the Key of Forgetting. He stood still for a moment, staring at the ornate door.
“Seth, are you all right?” she asked.
He turned and looked at her without recognition. Her heart sank—she could only assume that his mind had been wiped. Her brother no longer knew her. Or himself.
Then he looked over her shoulder with interest.
Before Kendra could turn, strong arms wrapped around her from behind, pinning her arms to her sides. “Don’t struggle,” a voice spoke in her ear. “We have little time.”
She knew that voice!
“Ronodin?” Kendra asked.
“Celebrant is coming,” Ronodin said. “We need to get into that room.”
“What’s going on?” Seth asked.
“This girl has a dangerous glove,” Ronodin said. “It turns people to platinum. I can’t risk her using it on us.”
Kendra tried to twist her wrist to touch Ronodin, but he squeezed her too tightly, keeping a firm hand on her forearm just behind the glove. “Seth, attack him,” she cried.
“She’s trying to fool you,” Ronodin said. “I’m your brother. Don’t fall for her tricks.”
“It’s not a trick,” Kendra said. “I’m your sister.”
“She’s a liar,” Ronodin said. “Look who is attacking who. I didn’t draw a weapon. I’m not trying to kill her. I just don’t want her using the glove on us.”
“Does the glove turn people to platinum?” Seth asked.
“Yes,” Kendra said. “I’m using it to protect us. This is Ronodin, the dark unicorn.”
Seth scrunched his brow. “He doesn’t look like a unicorn.”
“Kendra,” Ronodin said, “we have no time. They will be here in a moment. Take off the glove. You can keep it. Put it back on when Celebrant arrives. I just need insurance you won’t use it on us.”
“What is this?” Seth asked. “What happened to me? What’s going on?”
Kendra could hear footsteps climbing the stairs. Ronodin let her use her ungloved hand to remove the glove.
“Turning the key to that door erased your memory,” Ronodin said. “For now, just watch.”
Ronodin released Kendra but stayed near. She considered putting the glove back on and trying to touch him, but the dark unicorn was right—she had no time. If he went for the Wizenstone, she would put on the glove and tag him.
Kendra grabbed the knob and pushed the door open. They entered a windowless room with glowing globes of light and a pedestal at the center. Atop the pedestal sat a cut gemstone the size of a baseball. Geometrically complex, the crystalline jewel contained faint, scintillating hints of all colors in existence.
“The Wizenstone,” Kendra said.
Ronodin closed the door and briefly examined the knob. “Can’t lock it from the inside,” he said.
Seth stood off to one side. “That looks expensive,” he said.
“It’s magical,” Kendra replied. “What do I do?”
“Be smart,” Ronodin said. “You don’t have the rod, and Celebrant let you come here.”
“We can’t let him get it,” Kendra said.
“No,” Ronodin said. “We can’t.”
“Whose side are you on?” Kendra asked.
Ronodin laughed as if she were ridiculous. “Mine.” He glanced at Seth. “And my brother’s.”
“You’re not his brother,” Kendra corrected. “I’m his sister.”
“Who is Celebrant?” Seth asked.
“Bad guy,” Kendra said. “King of the dragons.”
“What she said,” Ronodin agreed. “Kendra, Humbuggle is the greatest trickster the world has seen. He has guarded the Wizenstone for ages—long before coming here. Claiming the Wizenstone is bound to be more complicated than this appears.”
“So I should do nothing?” Kendra asked.
Ronodin gave her a measuring stare. “With Celebrant coming, if I thought I could just take the Wizenstone, what do you suppose I would be doing right now?”
Kendra frowned. “It might not be the real stone? Or it might be trapped?”
“You’re starting to think like a survivor,” Ronodin said.
“But Celebrant is coming with the Banishment Rod,” Kendra said.
“Isn’t it exciting?” Ronodin asked. “Such high stakes, and all we can really do is improvise. We may not make it. We’re too close to the action on this one, but we can’t let him have the Wizenstone.”
“I can’t let you have it either,” Kendra said.
“The feeling is mutual,” Ronodin replied with a grin.
The door opened. Celebrant entered, the Banishment Rod in his hand. Obregon followed. Behind them, Kendra caught a glimpse of gold and silver statues fighting before Obregon closed the door.
“Nobody has endeavored to claim the jewel?” Celebrant asked.
Kendra tugged on her glove. “I will if you loan me the Banishment Rod.”
“Such a generous offer,” Celebrant said. “Thank you for granting us access and then stepping aside. I’ll make your endings swift.” His eyes shifted to Ronodin. “What are you doing here?”
“Wouldn’t have missed it,” Ronodin said.
“You were listening when we spoke outside the black door,” Celebrant said.
“I’m a good listener,” Ronodin said.
“You got here just ahead of us,” Kendra realized.
“I hid in the room below as you went by,” Ronodin said. “What matters is we are here.”
Celebrant narrowed his eyes at Ronodin. “Do you mean to stop me?”
“I just like to be in the know,” Ronodin said.
“I don’t trust you,” Celebrant said.
&
nbsp; “If you did, you would be the first in a long time,” Ronodin said.
Celebrant held out the Banishment Rod to Obregon. “Swear to me once more,” he said.
“My king,” Obregon replied, dropping to one knee. “You have always had my complete loyalty. May you reign forever. If you grant me the honor of retrieving the stone, I will stand in your place, claiming it in your name. I swear on my honor as a dragon, and on my ancestors and on my descendants, the stone is yours if I retrieve it.”
“Take the rod,” Celebrant said.
Obregon rose and accepted the Banishment Rod.
“Quickly, now,” Celebrant said.
With the rod in one hand, Obregon strode to the pedestal, paused to examine the surrounding area for a moment, and then reached out to pick up the Wizenstone with his free hand. As soon as his fingers touched the surface of the jewel, he froze. For a moment, his body began to jerk and then to vibrate intensely. With a flash of light, he changed to ash: clothes, breastplate, and all. The Banishment Rod clattered to the floor as the particles of ash spread out, percolating downward.
“Whoa,” Seth said. “That guy turned into confetti.”
Kendra swallowed drily, relieved she had not tried to grab the jewel. She glanced at Ronodin, who watched Celebrant.
The Dragon King glared at the Wizenstone, his body tense but still, fury held in restraint. After a moment he relaxed and folded his arms.
“Your turn to try, your majesty?” Ronodin ventured.
“Not yet,” Celebrant growled.
“I take it your golden minions cannot enter?” Ronodin asked.
“Only those in possession of themselves may cross the threshold,” Celebrant said, enraged eyes never leaving the Wizenstone.
The door burst open, and Tregain stumbled into the room. “I’m not too late!” he exclaimed. Lunging at Seth, Tregain grabbed his hand with the silver glove. Seth yanked his hand away and did not turn to silver.
“Interesting,” Ronodin said. “Not in here.”
Tregain glanced at Celebrant, then at the rod on the floor near the pedestal. Tregain charged for the rod. Celebrant took a step to intercept him, then stopped. Tregain scooped up the rod and grabbed the Wizenstone. He did not move after taking hold of the jewel, nor did the gemstone. Tregain’s body began to tremble and spasm until he vanished in a burst of ash. The rod clattered to the floor again.
Kendra stared in amazement and horror. How was anyone supposed to claim the stone if it turned whoever touched it to ashes? Having the rod seemed irrelevant. No need to drive away a demon if your body evaporated.
Celebrant turned to Ronodin. “How do I claim it?” the Dragon King asked.
“I’m not sure,” Ronodin said.
Kendra looked at Seth. He watched from off to the side, clearly bewildered, trying to make sense of what he was seeing.
The Banishment Rod lay unattended on the floor. Should she try it? Wouldn’t she just turn to ash as well? Did the person have to be worthy? Might she be worthy? Her intentions were good. What if she waited? Celebrant did not seem to be in a hurry to take the risk of grabbing the stone. But he didn’t have to rush. More dragons would probably come. He had the luxury of time.
Kendra knew her opportunity to do something might not last for long. But what could she do? She most needed to prevent Celebrant from obtaining the Wizenstone. Or Ronodin. Given enough time, Celebrant would probably succeed. Kendra looked at the rod on the ground.
And suddenly an idea occurred.
She dashed forward.
“Kendra, are you sure?” Ronodin asked.
Celebrant hushed him.
She was not sure. But she was sure enough. It was worth a try. Celebrant would not be kind to her as a prisoner. She was mildly surprised to still be alive. Seth was currently defenseless. She might not get another chance to affect the outcome.
Kendra picked up the Banishment Rod, pointed it at the Wizenstone, and shouted, “Begone!”
The rod thrummed in her grasp. In a blink, the Wizenstone vanished.
Only the empty pedestal remained.
Relief flooded through Kendra as she glanced over to find Ronodin smirking and Celebrant shouting. The Dragon King glowered at her, veins protruding in his neck.
Humbuggle the dwarf appeared between them. “Interesting choice,” he said. “I’m afraid we’ll have to call this contest a draw.”
“Where is the stone?” Celebrant bellowed.
Humbuggle waved a dismissive hand. “Far away. Banished. None of your affair anymore. If you’re angry, think about poor Tregain—he waited hundreds of years, only to get obliterated at the end.”
“The Wizenstone is not meant to be owned,” Ronodin said.
“I provided that hint in the poem,” Humbuggle said. “Some people don’t trust plain language.”
“So you never own it,” Ronodin went on. “You just set up contests for others to try to win it. Meanwhile, it is in your custody, and you use its powers to create your games.”
“Enough out of you,” Humbuggle said. With a clap of his hands, the Banishment Rod disappeared from Kendra’s grasp and went to him.
“It must be possible to win the contest, or else the magic wouldn’t hold up,” Ronodin said. “But you rig the game so the best a contestant can do is send the Wizenstone away, ending the contest and letting you start another.”
“Nobody likes a heckler,” Humbuggle said.
“You’re the demon guarding the Wizenstone,” Ronodin said. “The only hope of winning the contest is replacing you—”
Humbuggle leveled the rod at Ronodin and called out, “Return!”
Ronodin vanished.
“What a bore,” Humbuggle said. “Much too chatty. Some might say the curse of Stormguard Castle has ended. Some might call Kendra a heroine. I just say the contest is over, ending in a draw. The gloves have lost all power, and those who became gold, silver, or platinum are freed. The added passages I created are undone.”
Kendra felt enormous relief to hear that Tanu and the others who had been turned to precious metals would be all right. She would need to go get Knox from the Quiet Box.
“What about Jaleesa’s arm?” Celebrant asked.
“She chose to attack after knowing the rules,” Humbuggle said. “Lost limbs are lost limbs. Personal injuries are personal injuries.”
“Obregon?” Celebrant asked.
“He chose to claim the unclaimable,” Humbuggle said. “He and Tregain are as dead as they could be.”
“What about Seth?” Kendra asked, hoping for good news.
“There have to be some consequences,” Humbuggle said. “The boy made his choice with knowledge of the outcome. Access to the Wizenstone comes at a price.”
“Can’t you undo it?” Kendra asked. “Can’t I do something?”
“Rules are rules,” Humbuggle said.
“Rules?” Kendra asked, sick with worry for her brother, hoping there might be some loophole. “We were playing for the Wizenstone and we don’t have it. Doesn’t that violate the rules? Shouldn’t you take away the punishments?”
“You chose to send the Wizenstone away,” Humbuggle said. “You terminated the contest. The king and queen are freed. Life at Stormguard Castle can be much as it was before. I’ll send you home, then I’ll go elsewhere too. I salute you brave contestants. To have survived and ended this contest is an outcome only you have achieved.”
“What if I don’t want to go just yet?” Kendra asked.
“Not really your choice,” Humbuggle said. He swung the rod and cried, “Return!”
Taken
Kendra stood in her bedroom at Blackwell Keep in her socks. Though it was dark, she could see. She had her abilities back! Somewhere beyond her room, unsettling sounds flavored the night—forlorn howls, desperate shrieks, and ominous drums. The
noises of Midsummer Eve were no longer screened out.
Was it really still the same night? So much had happened.
Was she truly safe? Back with her grandparents? Behind protective barriers?
It was disorienting to go from a cursed castle surrounded by enemies to her very own bedroom at the keep. But if she was disoriented, Seth must be utterly confused.
Kendra went out her door to visit his room and saw Mendigo racing down the hall holding Seth, who was squirming. They disappeared around a corner before she could really register what she was seeing.
“Mendigo?” Kendra called, running after the man-sized puppet. “Come here!”
Outside, the night remained tumultuous. Maybe the limberjack couldn’t hear her. Maybe Seth was scared and had asked Mendigo to take him someplace.
But why had he been squirming?
Kendra dashed around the corner, down some steps, and out a door into a courtyard. Some clouds faintly brightening on the horizon hinted at the approaching dawn. The night remained as boisterous as ever. Mendigo raced across the courtyard, still clutching Seth. Rain began to fall, and lightning forked across the sky, the glare sharply illuminating her brother and the sprinting limberjack. Thunder growled.
“Stop Mendigo!” Kendra shouted to anyone who might hear. “Something is wrong!”
She raced after them, feeling sick with worry. The rain fell harder. She should have known something was wrong when Mendigo had refused to accompany her to Skyhold. What was Seth thinking right now?
The minotaur Brunwin jumped down half a stairway to join the chase. A dwarf was running after Mendigo as well. The limberjack exited the courtyard through a door to the storerooms.
Kendra ran through the rain as fast as she could. Lightning flashed again, brighter than before, loud thunder following promptly. Where was Mendigo going? Would the puppet try to hurt Seth?
She burst through the door in time to see Mendigo entering a storeroom down the hall. Seth bucked and slapped the puppet, trying to wrench himself free. They both passed out of view again.
